The UK requirements for an airfield are that you have to get Local
Authority Planning permission (not always easy), unless you can prove
existing and continuous use, and CAA approval for winch launching to 2000
or 3000ft AGL, mostly so that this can be marked as a hazard on airmaps.
This is for unlicenced airfields that don't have an official ATZ.

There are some additional requirements for CAA licenced airfields
including a radio station and manned air traffic control for the published
opening hours. This does entitle you to an ATZ.

You can also operate out of a farmers field with his permission for a very
limited number of days per year. I believe the only requirements for this
are to inform the local police and to post a NOTAM.

The German and French model seems to be to have mixed gliding and light
aircraft airfields. In the UK they are largely separate. The ones that are
combined, such as Booker/Wycombe Air Park tend not to allow winch
launching. A number of Service Gliding Clubs operate at active RAF
airfields, but normally only at weekends and other specified days.

3500 x 300 feet would be an adequate size for a small winch launching
site, but the bigger the better really.

Derek Copeland


At 06:26 15 July 2009, Alan wrote:

I would have thought that the UK would have licensing requirements for
airports,
as many states here do. Before spending the money for the necessary
improvements
one would want to make sure that the start of activity would not be
followed by
a cease and desist order from the local or state government.

Similarly, I would want to make very certain that the activity had
appropriate
insurance coverage; the insurance company will also most likely want to
see proof
of appropriate licensing.

Getting approval would require finding an area where the potential
neighbors
would not be at local council meetings objecting to the activity and
expressing
their fear of these powerless aircraft plummeting into their houses.

The cost would be substantial. I don't know the width requirement to
have
parking for aircrafts and cars as well as buildings/hangars, along with
safe
space for the rope/cable to fall after release (and hopefully some safe
places
for low releases to go), but if one were to guess 300 feet wide
(probably
too
small) by 6000 feet long (for a 2000 foot cable), it comes out to over
41
acres.

I don't know how far from population centers one would have to go for
this,
but it would not work near here -- the land is just way too costly.


Power pilots are very concerned about the closure of airports due to
pressure
from communities building up around them, and several are lost each year.

Creating
and opening replacements is just astoundingly difficult.


Alan